Young people slam church

TSHWANE (SOUTH AFRICA)
Pretoria News

February 5, 2018

By Goitsemang Tlhabye

‘WE ARE hurt that the need to keep up pretences and look holy became more important than acting in a Christ-like manner. The church did not stop, it did not listen, it did not care.” This was part of the memorandum handed in by protesting Methodist young people during a convention at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria yesterday.
The group, joined by members of the EFF, was angry about the alleged sex scandal that rocked the Methodist City Mission in Pretoria last week. The youths came from as far as Limpopo, Bloemfontein and Free State. They wore black outfits.

The shocking revelations of sexual abuse at the church came to light on January 28 after a video of young women protesting during a service went viral. The alleged sexual abuse took place last year.

The memorandum also stated that the youths were concerned and deeply hurt by the mothers who called the alleged victims “loose” and were the first to accuse them of throwing themselves at “fathers”.

“They are the first ones to say ‘these young kids like things’. Our mothers stand on the side of the creepy uncle and insist we deal with this as a family matter,” read the memorandum.

In it, the youths also requested church leaders to treat cases of that nature with sensitivity and for those implicated to be recalled from any position of leadership.

It also called for the perpetrator, protectors and the church to search within their hearts and apologise unreservedly for their actions and delays of justice.

“Ultimately, we want our churches to be safe spaces, for us to be able to come to church without the fear that we will be victims of inappropriate advances. Let our churches be spaces where children, women and the marginalised find a voice,” the youths added.

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